1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of gaming, and in particular to systems and methods for monitoring the play of casino patrons at gaming tables to determine the betting activity of the casino patrons.
2. Background Art
Casinos have long recognized the need to build customer loyalty by identifying their regular customers and rewarding them for their patronage. These rewards include complementary drinks, meals, and hotel rooms, with the value of the reward being determined by the betting activity of the customer. Customers are keenly aware of this practice and often consider how well their betting activity is tracked for such rewards when deciding which casino they will patronize.
Systems for automatically tracking the betting activity of slot machine players have been available for some time. These tracking systems are relatively simple to implement since bet amounts are fixed and are already tracked as part of the slot machine's operation. The tracking systems typically provide the patron with a magnetic card which is inserted into a slot machine to identify the patron whose bets are then tracked through the slot machine.
Tracking the betting activity of table game players poses a very different problem since bets are made by placing casino chips or cash on the table, and the croupier monitors the amounts for all patrons. Thus, there is no automated system for tracking the bets of table game players. Moreover, beyond meeting the minimum bet level established at a table, the player's bets are not limited to a few specified values as is the case with slot machines. Traditionally, the betting activity of these players is tracked by the croupier or pit manager, who observes a player over a period of time to estimate the player's betting level. This method is not nearly as accurate as the automatic system employed for slot machines, since it relies on the observational skills of casino personnel who are occupied with a variety of other tasks while on duty. For example, if the pit manager fails to notice when a player arrives or departs from a table game, the pit manager will have to estimate these times. More importantly, there is no convenient way to transfer this information to casino personnel at other gaming tables where the patron may play. As a result, casino patrons who are keenly aware of their betting activity may be disappointed when expected complementary meals or drinks are not forthcoming. Consequently, they may take their patronage elsewhere.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method for tracking the betting activity of card players with a reasonable accuracy and without employing additional personnel to achieve this level of accuracy.